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Tennessee Hotel Leads the Charge

Historic Commodore Hotel charges into the green hotel business.

Linden, TN -- (ReleaseWire) -- 07/30/2012 -- Snug in little Linden, TN, The Commodore Hotel is a quaint, restored 1939 historic hotel between Nashville and Memphis. But don’t let its polished red bricks or Gone With The Wind theme night or weekly live music fool you. The Commodore Hotel has a new twang: she’s gone green.

In August 2011, Commodore owners Kathy and Michael Dumont, were contacted by Jeremy Covert of ECOtality, a company dedicated to environmental sustainability. Covert asked for their participation in a free study in order to help fulfill a grant from the Department of Energy, known as the EV (electric vehicle) project. The EV project aims to “build the largest sustainable infrastructure of publicly available electric vehicle charging stations and see how they are used,” Covert said. ECOtality is the parent company of Blink, the EV charging station providers.

The Dumonts are no strangers to green initiatives. The Commodore received the Regional Sonnenschein Award for Green Business in 2009, runs on an on-demand tankless hot water system, lights up with energy saving bulbs, and is a great spot to explore eco-tourism options. “Recognizing the importance of alternative energy, we were grateful for the opportunity to be on the leading edge of making this technology accessible to the public. This just adds to our desire to be a green hotel,” Kathy said.

The Commodore’s location is ideal: halfway between Nashville and Memphis, along the scenic byways of America’s heartland, a break for Midwesterners to avoid interstate traffic on their treks to Florida, and right at the crossroads between middle/western Tennessee and Alabama and Kentucky. (or should it say between east/west Tennessee and north/south Kentucky and Alabama.

“Travelers can stop for a bite to eat or stay the night at the hotel, tour Linden’s Arts and Historic District, and meet our local characters while charging their vehicle,” Kathy says.

Five months after Covert’s initial email, The Commodore now boasts two black and white Blink chargers in the parking lot behind it. Electric car owners can log onto blinknetwork.com and locate charging stations, schedule a charging time, and even get reduced charging rates, all by opening up a Blink Membership. The Commodore has its own Blink Membership, and travelers without memberships are welcome to use the hotel’s account.

“We are so thankful to the Department of Energy and ECOtality for spearheading the initiative to make this technology more accessible to the public,” Kathy says. “With the EV stations already set up, it makes it easier for people to get involved in the eco-movement.”

So jump on the bandwagon—er, your electric vehicle—and go green. Stop by The Commodore Hotel for a taste of Southern hospitality while your EV charges up on a glowing, futuristic Blink charger.

Stop by Linden on your way to the Tennessee River or Buffalo River – or Nashville or Memphis. Not only will you love the small-town 1940’s atmosphere, and local arts district, but you’ll experience a community effort of slow food revitiliztion. Commodore Hotel & Café, 114 East Main Street (Rte 412), Linden, TN. http://www.commodorelinden.com